Before the young man could speak, the bell at the door chimed as it was pushed open by a pair of large hands. Startled, I quickly turned around. A tall man in a neatly pressed suit and shining leather shoes walked in, exuding an air of maturity and elegance.
"Boss, you're back!" The young man greeted him warmly.
"Always in a rush, never calm," the man said in a seemingly reproachful tone, but it was full of affection.
Just as I was about to speak, the young man introduced me first, "Boss, she's here for the job interview."
The man turned to look at me and nodded. "What's your name?"
"Li Xinyi," I replied shyly.
"Are you a student from around here?"
"Yes."
"Have you worked part-time before?"
"N-no," I felt a pang of inferiority and lowered my head even more. After a moment, I mustered the courage to say softly, "I'm a freshman this year. Although I don't have experience, I can learn. I'll work very hard. Can you give me a chance?"
Perhaps my eagerness made my voice sound like I was about to cry.
There was a long silence before the boss spoke gently, "You don't have to be so nervous. The work here isn't difficult. I care more about your attitude."
Feeling a bit relieved, I lifted my head and forced myself to look into his eyes. I wanted to say, "As long as you hire me, I'll work tirelessly!" But after a long pause, I still couldn't bring myself to say it. How would he view me if I did? Would he laugh at me or look down on me? Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, I eventually lowered my gaze again.
"Why are you looking for a part-time job just after starting school?" he asked softly, perhaps to ease the tension when I didn't respond.
"I, I, I..." I stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy, and a tremendous pressure bore down on me. I didn't know what to say. Should I tell him my family was too poor to afford tuition? Should I say that if I didn't work, I might have to drop out next semester?
"I, I need this job," I finally managed to squeeze out, feeling utterly drained afterward.
There was another long silence. I thought my answer might have disappointed him, and just as I was about to say something more, his voice came again, "Alright then, our busiest times are in the evenings. Come by after class tomorrow, from 6 PM to 10 PM, seven days a week, including weekends. Is that okay?"
I got the job? I really got the job at 15 yuan an hour? Overjoyed, I nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, that's fine! Thank you, thank you so much!" I was so moved I almost kneeled to thank him.
Fifteen yuan, fifteen yuan an hour! Four hours a day, that's sixty yuan a day! More than the fifty yuan my stepfather had given me! And in a month, that's 1,800 yuan! Oh my god! I was calculating rapidly in my mind, overwhelmed by this sudden joy.
Later, I couldn't remember how my new colleague Zhao Kai introduced the job to me or how I walked back to the dormitory. My mind was filled with the number 1,800. To me at that time, it was an enormous sum.